Attachment for cash-registers.



PATENTED vOCT. 13, 1903.

T. ORANEY. I

ATTACHMENT FOR CASH REGISTERS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.1, 1902.

3 SHEETS-BHEET 1.

I I HIFHIHWIIH INVENTOR ATTORNEY PATENTED OCT. 13,1903.

GRANEY. ATTACHMENT FOR CASH REGISTERS.

APPLIQATION FILED-H0118, 1902.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WITNIESSES:

W INVENTOR ,ATTORNEY m2 mums vuzns .co, vno'roumo wAsmNaToN, a. c,

PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903.

'T. GRAN'EY. ATTACHMENT FOR CASH REGISTERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

KO MODEL.

. ATTORNEY In; NORRIS'PZTERS cu. QNOTQ-LH'HO, WASHINGTON, n c.

l l I UNITED STATES Patented October 13, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ATTACHMENT FOR CASH REGISTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,229, dated October13, 1903. Application filed November18,l902. Serial Nol3l,813.(Nomodelil T0 aZZ whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS ORANEY, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments forGash-Registers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention is an attachment for cashregisters, and its objects areto provide an indicator actuated by the movement of the cashdrawer ofthe register to bring to the attention of the purchaser theadvertisements of merchants engaged in other lines of trade. To insurethat his attention will be attracted to the device it is further adaptedto point out one of a series of numbers and to indicate at the same timeone of the advertisements displayed when the amount of his purchase isregistered. If the number pointed out by the indicator happens to be thesame as the amount of the purchase which is recorded by the register,the purchaser is entitled to a prize or to additional goods equal invalue to the goods just purchased. The invention provides in a device ofthis class a simple indicating mechanism which can be easily and quicklyapplied to cash-registers of the ordinary form without changing theirconstruction, and, furthermore, provides an indicating mechanism whichindicates the numbers entirely by chance.

Further objects of the device are to increase sales by offering a chanceof gain to each customer in paying for his purchase and to attract hisattention and interest when his purchase is indicated by thecash-register for the purpose of acting as a check against the errors bythe salesman.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l is a front elevation of a cash-register, showing the indicatornot used for advertising purposes attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a partside elevation of the indicator and cash-register, broken away in partsto show the connecting means between the cashdrawer and the indicator.Fig. 3 is a front view of a cash-register, showing the indicator used asan advertising display device and located at a distance from thecashregister. Fig. 4 is a back view of-the indicator. Fig. 5 is a frontview, and Fig. 6 a side elevation, of the same broken away in parts,showing the pointer-actuating mechanism; and Fig. 7 is an enlargeddetail.

Although the device is intended for the display of advertisements, as isindicated in Fig. 3, it may be used by the owner only for the purpose ofincreasing his sales and to act as a check against error by thesalesman. It is then customary to secure it to the top of thecash-register, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the indicator consists in a dial 1,having a series of numbered pins 2 around the periphery. A balancedpointer 3 is centrallylocated in front of the dial, and when thecash-register is operated the pointer is given a sudden impulse, causingit to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3.The pointer can revolve only in the direction indicated, but afterreceiving its impulse revolves in that direction independent of theactuating means, stopping between two of the pins 2 when the forcereceived from the impulse is exhaustechthus indicating one of thenumbers on the dial. A mechanism such as is shown in Figs. 4, 5, (3, and7 or any other suitable device concealed behind the dial may be used forimparting motion to the pointer.

I prefer to actuate the indicating mechanism by the movement of thecash-drawer, and I accomplish this result by the following means: AholeI is provided in the back wall 5 of the cash-register and a hookedbracket or finger 6 is secured to the back of the cashdrawer 7, so as toproject through the hole i when the cash-drawer is closed. A bracket 8,secured to the back of the register, carries a bell-crank lever 9, onemember of which is adapted to be tripped by the hooked finger 6 when thedrawer is pulled open, thereby pulling and suddenly releasing theflexible cord 10, which is secured to the other member of the bell-cranklever. The cord 10 operates a pointer-actuating mechanism concealedbehind the dial. The outer face of the finger 6 is preferably beveled,so as to slide easily over the point of the lever as the drawer isclosed.

IVhen the indicator is to be used for advcrtising purposes, it may beplaced above the register, as is shown in Fig. 3, orin any otherconvenient location, it being only necessary that the indicator be soplaced that comparison of its numbers with the amount indicated by thecash-register shall be easy for the customer. In this case segmentaladvertisingcards A B C are located around the circumference of theindicator, being removably secured to a flat board or back 11 by meansof radial guides 12, formed of sheet metal and having projecting flanges13 for retaining the segmental cards in position. At the left of Fig. 3is a detached detail showing the end view of a pair of guides 12, and atthe right of Fig. 3 is shown one of the segmental advertising cards 14detached from its guides.

The number on the dial at which the pointer 3 stops depends entirelyupon chance, and the pointer is as free to stop at one number as atanother. The chance that it will stop at any particular number dependsupon the total number of pins 2 that are employed, and the chancedecreases directly in proportion as the number of pins is increased. Inthe dial shown in the drawings there are four series of ten numbers,each increasing by live from five to fifty. Each number is repeated onthe dial four times. The chances are therefore one in ten that thepointer will stop at any previously-selected number. If the number atwhich the pointer stops agrees with the amount of the purchase asrecorded by the cash-register, the buyer is entitled to additional goodsor an article as a premium equal in value to any per cent. of thetotalsales that the seller wishes to pay. Therefore, with the numbersarranged on the dial, as shown in the drawings, approximately ten percent. of the daily sales will be delivered in goods as premiums orprizes to customers. It is obvious that every tenth purchaser will notre ceive a premium, for it is possible that several may receive them insuccession, although the ultimate chance will remain ten percent. Thiselement of uncertainty greatly increases the interest of the purchaserand draws his attention to the amount indicated on the register, servingas a check against error by the salesman. It also insures that hisattention will be called to the advertisements displayed around thedial, which might otherwise escape his notice.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. An indicating device for cash-registers comprising a dial havingnumbers around its periphery segmental cards adapted to be used foradvertisingpurposes arranged around the circumference of the dial; meansfor holding the cards in place; a freely-moving pointer adapted toindicate by chance one of the numbers and one of the segmental cards;and means operated by the cash-register for imparting motion to thepointer when the register is operated for the purpose set forth.

2. In an indicating mechanism for cashregisters the combination of adial carrying numbers around its periphery and having a freely-movingpointer; a series of segmental advertising-cards around said dial;guides for retaining said cards in place; and a flexible cord actuatedby the cash-register mechanism for imparting rotary motion to thepointer.

3. In an indicating mechanism for cashregisters having a dial and a:t'reely-moving pointer mounted to rotate before the dial; a flexiblecord for imparting rotary motion to the pointer; a bell-crank leversecured to the case of the cash-register one arm of the lever beingattached to the flexible cord; and a hooked finger carried by the drawerol' the cash-register and arranged to actuate the bell-crank lever whenthe drawer is opened, for the purpose set forth.

4. In an indicating mechanism for cashregisters, a dial carrying seriesof numbers, a pointer adapted to indicate by chance one of said numbers,means for imparting motion to said pointer, said means being operated bythe drawer of the cash-register; numbers on said dial corresponding withthe amounts which may be indicated by the cash-register, and being sodisposed upon the dial that the chance of the indicated dial-number andthe amount of the registered purchase being the same will be in apredetermined ratio.

5. Means for operating an indicating device for cash-registerscomprising a flexible cord, a bell-crank lever carried by the case ofthe cash-register, one arm of the lever being attached to the flexiblecord and a hooked finger secured to the drawer of the cash-register andarranged to operate the bell-crank lever when the drawer is opened.

In testimony whereof I a'l'lix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS URANE'Y.

"Witnesses:

JAMEs O. HANSON, FRANK l\lARTINDALE.

